When the Blackhawks missed the NHL playoffs again this spring, most Illinois hockey fans called it a season. But for Abby Kimball, a Community graduate and videographer for the Iowa Wild—the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, whose playoff run is underway—kept right on working. In this...

The girls lacrosse co-op opened its 2026 season with a 17-8 non-conference loss to the Washington Panthers on March 18 at Golden Babcook Field in Washington, dropping the program to 2-10 all-time against a familiar rival. The Purple IronCats trailed 8-6 at halftime before the hosts outscored the Community-West-Bloomington...

Mario is an icon—a mustached plumbing legend who somehow became a global staple in games, TV and, honestly, just life. For March 10, 2026—this year’s Mar10 Day—The Inkspot decided to celebrate the only way that feels appropriate: by pitting Bowser’s minions against each other in a no-rules,...

Play It Again Sports, a resale sporting goods chain, opened in Bloomington in January, offering families a lower-cost option for sports equipment as youth sports costs continue to rise. The store’s model can help families manage one of the biggest financial pressures in youth athletics, Community...

It’s been a while since I slid a LEGO disc into our family’s Wii Mini. But when I think about my favorite childhood pastimes, three things still snap into place like bricks: movies, LEGO and that now-very-outdated console. I grew up on screen worlds—“Star Wars” first, then “The Lord of...

Nico Salvati, Liv Lively and Rex Rowley share what is making them happy this week in the second episode of “The Up-Beat,” talking “Stranger Things,” the Chicago Bears and the “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” update.

Boys soccer’s best season of the decade ended with a 4-0 home loss on Nov. 4, with the Iron falling to the eventual IHSA Class 3A State Champions,  the Naperville North Huskies, in the supersectional. The loss closes out Community’s best season since 2017, a year in which the Ironmen tied for...

Community fended off Collinsville to claim the IHSA sectional championship—the program’s third and first since 2017—setting up a home supersectional against No. 1 in-state Naperville North on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The match against the Kahoks brought what head coach Mr. Matt Chapman called “adversity,”...

Community beat the top-seeded Minooka Indians 2-1 on Oct. 28, avenging a 7-0 regular-season loss and earning a spot in Saturday’s IHSA sectional final at Peoria Notre Dame. “We knew coming into the game it was going to be a strong mental battle,” senior forward Logan Lelm said. “Conditions weren’t...

Community captured a third-consecutive IHSA Class 3A Boys Soccer regional title with a 4-3 win over Peoria Notre Dame on Oct. 24, advancing to Tuesday’s sectionals. The Iron (17-3-4), after suffering a 2-2 tie to PND earlier in the season, stayed alive in the post-season—also gaining what Iron...

Community opened the 2025 postseason with a 9-0 win over No. 7 seed Decatur MacArthur/Eisenhower Coop on Oct. 20, with the win the No. 2-seeded Ironmen advance to Friday’s IHSA Class 3A regional final against Peoria Notre Dame. Community needed only a half of action to advance to the Oct. 24 regional...

After Iron volleyball’s 4-1 weekend at AutumnFest, Community head coach Ms. Christine Konopasek is one win shy of 400 career victories. The veteran coach will have the opportunity to reach the milestone Oct. 21 on Community’s home court when the 27-5 Ironmen host a 3-21 Danville team.  A victory...